IIT Bhubaneswar holds 14th Convocation

Bhubaneswar: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar has organised its 14^th Convocation on 18^th April 2026. Prof. V. S. Ramamurthy, Padma Bhushan Awardee; Former Secretary, Dept. of Science & Technology, Govt. of India and Former Director, Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar graced the occasion as the Chief Guest and delivered the Convocation address. Prof. Shreepad Karmalkar, Director, IIT Bhubaneswar presented the Convocation report and awarded the degrees to the students.

During this Convocation, the Institute conferred degrees on 802 students out of which 96 (12%) PhD, 177 (22%) M. Tech, 96 (12%) M.Sc, 102 (13%) Dual Degree (B. Tech & M. Tech), and 325 (41%) B. Tech for the academic year 2024-25. It was a proud moment for the graduating students, their parents, the faculty and staff members and the administration of the institute.

Addressing the graduating students, the Chief Guest emphasized that excellence is not optional but a commitment—‘whatever you do, do it well’—urging them to strive to lead and make a mark in their chosen paths. Drawing on the landmark discovery of the Higgs boson, he highlighted how transformative breakthroughs are built on long-term vision, perseverance, and large-scale global collaboration rather than isolated effort. He underscored India’s growing role as an equal partner in international scientific missions, noting that the country’s contributions today are competitive in both quality and impact. Calling for a shift in mindset, he urged institutions like IITs to move beyond boundaries, embrace global collaboration, and adopt ‘cooperation while competing’ as the defining mantra for advancing research and innovation.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Shreepad Karmalkar, Director, IIT Bhubaneswar, presented a detailed report on the various efforts and achievements of the Institute since the previous convocation. He said, “The institute has grown significantly in the last couple of years. It has strengthened its infrastructure, research footprint, industry–academia collaborations, and startup ecosystem, alongside sustainability initiatives. Its 2025 NIRF Engineering rank has jumped by 15 steps to 39 compared to the previous year, and its overall rank has jumped by more than 20 steps. Looking ahead, we remain focused on interdisciplinary research, global partnerships, and preparing graduates to lead in a rapidly transforming technological landscape, contributing meaningfully to society.”

Prof. Karmalkar read out the message of Dr. Rajendra Prasad Singh, Chairman, Board of Governors, IIT Bhubaneswar, in his absence.

The following awards were presented to the best-performing students during the convocation.

President of India Gold Medal:

Shri Varun Varma Jaganath of the Mechanical Engineering for the best academic performance among all the B.Tech students

Director’s Gold Medals for Best Academic Performances:

Dual Degree (B.Tech and M.Tech):

Ms. Vedanta Mohapatra of Computer Science and Engineering branch

M.Tech:

Shri Harsh Neel Mani of Computer Science and Engineering branch

M.Sc.:

Ms. Anannya Bhowmik of Chemistry

Institute Silver Medals for Best Academic Performances in different branches:

B.Tech.:

Shri Saikat Mondal; Shri Gunda Anish; Shri Rahul Agrawal; Shri Harikrishnan A.; Shri Varun Varma Jaganath; Ms. Adrija Patra 

Dual Degree:

Shri Vedanta Mohapatra; Shri Vardhan Mittal, Shri Rahul Agrawal; Ms. Parthvi Jain and Shri Shashikant Verma

M.Tech:

Shri Arpan Bhattacharjee; Shri Harsh Neel Mani; Shri Prabhatangshu Phukan; Shri Anuvindh R.; Shri Vamaravelli Lokesh; Shri Jyoti Prakash Paramanik; Shri B Bharath Kumar

M.Sc.:

Ms. Alankita Nag; Shri Ankit Kumar Mishra; Shri Anannya Bhowmik; Shri Amit Basak; Shri Ajit Prasad Mahapatra

Endowment Awards:

Dr. K. Kasturirangan Award for the best Male Graduate

Shri Varun Varma Jaganath, Mechanical Engineering

Prof. P. Rama Rao Award for best Lady Graduate

Ms. Adrija Patra, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

Dinesh Memorial Award for best B.Tech Thesis in Mechanical Sciences

Shri Badvelu Pranay Prabha, School of Mechanical Sciences

B. K. De Memorial Award for the best B.Tech Thesis

Shri Indrayudh Ghosh, Electronics and Communication Engineering

Tejaswi Memorial Award for best B.Tech Thesis in Electrical and Computer Sciences

Shri Ayush Pratap Singh and Shri Indrayudh Ghosh, School of Electrical & Computer Sciences